Too Immature
by Hideki LaShae
Summary: After deliberately leaving a life behind, our beloved returns to the life he abandoned to find it moved on without him, except for one thing ...


Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and references belong to their respective owners. The song Immature belongs to Ayumi Hamasaki and the company that recorded it and was used in this story with the best of intentions. Story elements © Hideki LaShae. No money was gained in the writing of this story.

Too Immature

By

Hideki LaShae

.

.

_**Sometime in that river a piece of my broken dream floated by.**_

_**The promises I couldn't keep have one by one caused pain.**_

_**Itsu ka ano kawa de nagarete'ta mono wa kowareta yume no kakera datta ne**_

_**Mamorarenakatta yakusoku ni ichiichi kizu tuite mitari shite'ta n da.**_

_**- - **__**Immature**__** – Ayumi Hamasaki**_

I stand there staring at the mirror, glaring at the person it shows me. I stare, and the person glares back. Finally, I can't take it anymore. "What are you looking at? Who are you?"

I glare at that person some more. I growl when there is no response. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

Still the person just glares at me.

"I don't know who you think you are! I don't know you and I have no reason to waste my time here with you!" I stare into those dead eyes. "Don't look at me like that! I don't know you! You don't know me! Don't judge me!"

The person just blinks back at me.

I sigh and close my eyes. I fight back the tears that threaten to form in my eyes. "I… I used to know you, didn't I? We used to be close, I think. But now, I can't even remember your name. Who the hell are you?"

I open my eyes just long enough to see the flash of sadness in those brown eyes. I clamp my eyes shut again. "Who are you? Answer me, damn it!"

I turn away from the mirror and walk out of the bathroom. I cross the living room and stare out the French window beside the balcony doors. There, I see that person again. That's when I realize something. "I can't even tell what sex you are. You have long hair like a woman, but your body is well built like a man's would be. And the clothing you wear… it does nothing to help me discern your sex. What are you? Who are you? Where… when did I know you?"

Silence again. All that will ever answer my questions is silence. I don't think… no, I know that person will never answer me. What reason have I given them to answer me?

I step up to the glass of the window, and the person steps closer on the other side. I lean my forehead against the cool glass as the person does the same. I stare into the brown eyes for a moment before I sigh. "I want to remember you. I want to know who you are, and I want you to know me."

Something in the river outside catches my eye, and I turn my gaze away from the person before me.

Floating in the river is part of a billboard, a worn-out picture of the person I used to be, back when I was still acting.

"I'm not that person anymore. I've failed. I wanted to be a big actor, but I failed. There's nothing left to do now but go home," I whisper as I turn from the balcony and head into my bedroom to pack up the belongings I still have. "Yes. It's time to go home."

I freeze as I hear a whisper, like that of an old memory crashing back in like the waves. I recognize the voice speaking, and I spin around in aimless circles looking for the source, but I don't see anyone near. Still, I hear the words softly spoken, "Itsu ka ano kawa de nagarete'ta mono wa kowareta yume no kakera datta ne."

"That's… that language… it's Japanese." I look around again and shiver as the voice vanishes like a memory. "I hate it when others are right. And that voice is right. A piece of my broken dream just floated by in that river. I hate it when others are right. That often means I'm wrong."

I pack my bags, make all the necessary arrangements, and I leave Hollywood behind me, along with that person who I don't know… or at least, I think I leave that person behind. I have more important things to do. I sleep most of the way there. I don't need to see the Pacific Ocean as the plane flies over it. I know how deep and lonely the blue depths are. They remind me of the eyes I once stared so adamantly into. I've been away for two whole years, and during those two years, I did have one big stunt in a movie. My picture on the billboard is proof enough of that. So, yes… I was in a movie. I wasn't the star, but I was in a supporting role. I had one of the most important parts in the movie. But as quickly as I rose to fame, I was cast aside. The director had accidentally let it slip how immature I was when we were doing the movie, and no one would cast me in another after that. I mumble in my sleep, "I can't believe he called me immature and ruined my career."

The person sitting next to me wakes me up when the light to buckle the seat belts flashes, and I do so before the plane lands.

I walk out of the plane and into the Japanese terminal. I look around as if expecting someone to meet me there, but I didn't tell anyone that I was coming, so no one would have known about my flight. I decide to start at the beginning and work my way to the end. I know that the people I left behind will want to see me again, and after two years away from Japan, I'm sure they will greet me with many hugs and platonic kisses. I have to start with the person I've known the longest, my dear sister. I'll need to pick up flowers before I go to visit her though.

I grab my luggage and head out to the line of awaiting taxicabs. I climb into the back of one and give the driver the address of the flower shop where I always used to pick up lilacs and baby's breath for her. She loved baby's breath, and lilacs were very soothing to her. A tear rolls down my cheek discreetly as the cab drives away. I tell the driver to wait for me as I head up to the woman to get the bouquet of flowers I want. I smell the bright purple lilacs mixed in the bouquet with the baby's breath. I pay her the money, and I climb back into the cab with the bouquet. I give another address, and the cab rolls off again.

This time when the cab stops, I pay the driver, grab up my luggage, lift the flowers carefully so as not to crush them, and head inside the tall building. I silently ride in the elevator with my luggage at my side, and when the doors open on the sixteenth floor, I step out with everything I brought and I hurry towards my destination. I stop when I arrive at the plaque and set my luggage down. I place my bouquet on the shelf beside the plaque and stare at my sister's name. "I'm sorry, little sis. It's been awhile. I'm very sorry. I've been in America. I had my fifteen minutes of fame. I almost starred in a movie."

Tears roll down my cheeks as I pay my respects and tell her all about everything I've done since I last saw her. Then, I lift my luggage again and reluctantly leave the mausoleum. I have more friends to visit, and it's time I do so. I realize I should probably get a hotel room so I can stop hauling my luggage all over the country, but really, I can't afford a hotel. I just had enough money to get back here. I know someone will let me stay with them until I get a job and save enough money for the security deposit on an apartment. So I carry my luggage with me as I head down towards the high school I used to attend. I walk this time, taking in all the sites around me.

This town has sure changed. What happened to it while I was gone?

"That store… there was an arcade there," I mumble half to myself.

"Not anymore. It burned down about two years ago," says a middle-aged woman who sweeps the sidewalk, "A terrible fire, but the fire department managed to contain it to the arcade. They never did catch the person who set it alight. This store was built in its place six months later. Did you used to live around here, stranger?"

I look at the woman in disbelief. "Stranger? Yes… I guess I am a stranger to this town now. It's been two years since I left."

"Welcome back!" The woman smiles.

I nod slightly as I walk away again. It's not long before I find the school. It's gotten a new paint job. It looks creepy with all that black graffiti on it. "Wait a minute! That says… 'You are so immature to have broken your promise'… Why does that sound like it's addressed to me?"

I turn away from the school with a shudder and I hurry away. I remember taking this route every day. It's so familiar to me, like the scent of fresh baked cookies at Grandma's house. That's not too far from where I'm going, except it wasn't a grandma who lived above that little store… it was a grandfather, and he wasn't mine. I quickly reach the little shop, and I look at the sign. It's new.

"Koinu." Written in bright golden letters upon the deep brown sign.

I open the door and step inside to be nearly assaulted by a stray puppy that runs towards me.

"Stop that dog!" calls someone.

I drop my luggage and reach down quickly to snatch the puppy before it escapes into the city. I look at the precious little golden Labrador puppy in my arms. "Now, now, no running away, make inu…"

I freeze when I hear myself say those words. Those words sound so familiar, as if I have heard them before… heard them spoken through another's lips and directed at… directed at me. 'Make inu… stupid puppy.'

"Kami!" exclaims the person who had spoke earlier.

My eyes shift from the puppy's rich brown eyes to the amethyst eyes of the man. "Hi… I'm back, obviously."

"Is it really you?"

"Shocking isn't it? Yeah. It's really me. Two years older, but still a make inu," I say with a smile.

"I've missed you." He walks towards me and extends his arms. He pulls me into an embrace, nearly squishing the puppy between us. He smiles as he pulls my luggage further inside and leads me to a kennel where a few other lab puppies are, so I put the golden one down to play with the others. "How long have you been back?"

"I just got in today. I stopped by to see her before coming here."

He nods. He expected as much. He never misses a trick. "How have you been?"

"Fine… I… got a supporting role in a movie. I was almost a co-star. It was a very big role, but… that's over now. No one in Hollywood wants anything to do with me," I say, "How have you been? What happened here? Since when was this a pet shop?"

"Well… I've been doing well. I got the shop a few months after you left. Grandpa and Mom went to live in Kyoto. Grandpa has a lot of friends there. He wanted to retire and be near them. Mom went too so she could help him. They left me with the shop, but it wasn't making that much money, so I turned it into a pet store, specializing in cute, little puppies. Aren't they adorable? I sell a lot of the Labradors. They are the most popular breed even though they are a larger dog when they grow up." He sits down behind the counter. "I wanted to keep the shop the way it was, but I couldn't. I have a family to support."

"Family?" I know my eyes must have widened to look like saucers.

"Mm-Hmm. Family. I married last year. We're expecting our first child. She's three months pregnant. Hey, honey! Come downstairs and see who's here!" he calls towards the staircase that leads into the house above the shop.

"Who is it?" asks a brunette woman as she strolls down the staircase. She doesn't look pregnant, but what do I know? She looks at me and clamps her hand over her mouth. "Oh, my God! It can't be!"

"I'm glad to see you recognize me!"

"How could I forget one of my best friends?" She hurries the rest of the way down the stairs and throws her arms around my neck. She kisses my cheek quickly. "Oh, God, we've missed you! Life isn't the same without you here!"

"Yeah… it's better without me. I mean, look at you two! Married! Children!" I rub her stomach to emphasize my point. "You two have it made in the shade!"

She shakes her head and looks towards her husband.

"No we don't. We… I've been completely miserable without you here. You know I wanted you to be standing at that altar beside me when I got married!" Tears stream down from the priceless, amethyst eyes.

I pull the brunette over with me, and I wrap an arm around him, forcing him to join us in a group hug.

"You promised me that you would be my best man like you were always my best friend, but when it came time, I couldn't find you! I tried! I couldn't find you!" He continues to cry. "Why did you have to leave us like that? You didn't even tell us where you were going? We had to assume! You immature make inu!"

Those words don't sound the same coming from him, but I know what he means. "All the promises I couldn't keep, I'm going to keep them now. Can't you see? I'm more mature that way… I know I'm a stupid puppy. I was an immature fool, but now I'm back, and I want to try to make it right if I can. I've missed you, and I'm sorry for hurting you. I thought your lives would be better without me. And looking at it, it looks like I was right."

.

_**The promises I couldn't keep have one by one caused pain.**_

.

"You have to look deeper to see the pain we're in because of you!" exclaims the woman starting to cry as well, "We would have never asked you to leave!"

"But I couldn't stay. I'm sorry that I hurt you, but I did what I thought was right at the time. I'm sorry that I was wrong!" I pull them both closer as the tears fall from my own eyes to mingle with theirs on the floor.

He's the first one of us to get control over his tears. He wipes his eyes and smiles at me. "You still could have written us a couple of letters, you silly!"

I laugh as the tears continue down my cheeks. "I know! But writing requires too much thought. I wanted to write, but every time I sat down to write to you, I didn't know what to say."

"Where are you staying?" he asks, "Please, not with your father!"

"I haven't really thought about where to stay," I say wiping my eyes. I notice the woman has stopped crying too now, so I wipe the tears from her eyes. "I planned to go visit everyone and then figure out where to stay."

"Well… you can leave your luggage here while you do that then, and you can stay with us if you want," says the woman.

"I don't want to be a burden. You have enough to worry about!" I smile. "Thanks for the offer though, but maybe I can get someone else to let me stay with them until I can get my own place. I'm not planning on leaving again."

"Great!" she exclaims, "You can leave your luggage here while you go to talk to everyone else! There's so much to do! You know… he'll want to see you too. He was very angry when you left."

I nod and hang my head. "I figured he would be."

"Be careful if you go to his house. He's bought all the golden Labradors we get in here," says the man moving to reach in and pet the head of the golden puppy who had tried to escape earlier, "This little one will be joining him in a few days. Maybe you could take him to him?"

"Maybe," I mumble.

"He's been training the labs to protect his house and brother." The amethyst eyes twinkle as they look at me. "And also to help ease his pain. He's taught them to dog-pile on him when he's sad."

I laugh. "So… I'll see you soon. I want to go say hi to the rest of the gang. Do you know where I could find them?"

"Try the museum," says the woman at the same time as her husband says, "There's a restaurant called 'Egypt's Pride'!"

"The museum and Egypt's Pride? Got it! Thanks, guys. I'll be back soon," I say as I turn and leave the pet store. I breathe a sigh of relief. The more things change the more they stay the same. I start walking down towards the museum. I remember the way easily enough, but I don't remember all the strange new businesses that have cropped up along the path. "Some things change. Some things never do."

I reach the museum and enter quickly. I pass the security guard without a second glance.

"Where do you think you're going, buddy?" calls the security guard.

I spin around and look at him. I gasp. "You work here?"

"Don't sound so incredulous!" exclaims the security guard smiling. His green eyes sparkle in the pale light.

"Well… yeah… I mean… wow! You work here?" I'm shocked. Okay, so shocked is an understatement. I'm flabbergasted!

He nods his head and looks at me seriously. "Where have you been?"

"Hollywood," I say simply, "I'm back for good now."

He smiles as he flexes his arm to show me the muscles he's obtained in the past two years. He makes a swift punch to my jaw, and I fall to the floor.

"I deserved that."

"Damn straight you did! Leaving us all worrying about you! With just a stupid note telling us that you're leaving of your own free will! You're a stupid coward, you know that?" He glares at me.

I nod. "I am stupid."

His eyes soften and he helps me up. "So… why are you in a museum?"

"I was just at Koinu's… they told me to come here and Egypt's Pride."

He chuckles. "Yeah… I bet you were thinking you'd see someone else here!"

"Speaking of him, where's he? I thought he'd be glued to an Egyptian exhibit or something," I say looking around.

"Well… you're close. He's the chef at Egypt's Pride. I think you'll recognize the owner too, and no, the owner isn't your ex…"

"Hmm… Give me a hint. Male or female?"

"Male. Rich. Sexy, and my new boyfriend!"

I blink at him repeatedly. "You're gay?"

He smiles and nods. "Well… actually, I'm bi, but… since I can't have your sister…"

"I would never let you have my sister!" I exclaim, "You're a prick!"

"Hey! I'm your best bud!"

"Yeah? So? I still wouldn't let you near my sis!" I push him slightly.

He pushes me back, and a small shove fest begins.

"You know… I have to get going. I'll see you later, but I want to stop by and see everyone else. I don't want anyone to think that I didn't come to see them on my first day back."

"I know how you feel, bud," he says nodding his head.

"Oh, by the way, are the girls in town?"

He shakes his head. "Nope. I hear they're both in Egypt on an archaeological dig if you can believe that."

I laugh.

"Well, I'll see you later. Where are you staying?" His eyes look hopeful.

"I don't know yet." And I should know that by now.

"You're welcome at my place if you need it. It's small, but it's home."

"Thanks, bud. I'll think about it." I watch as he grabs a notepad and a pen from the desk where he normally sits watching the security monitors. He writes down his address as well as several other addresses with names by them so I know who lives where. Then he passes me the sheet of paper.

"You'll be needing to know that sooner or later." He smiles.

"Thanks. You're the best," I say. I turn quickly and walk out, stopping to wave at him from the door. And I continue along. It doesn't take me long to find Egypt's Pride. Wow… this restaurant looks fancy. I step inside.

"Hello, and what time is your reserva…?" The green eyes of the man at the podium finally raise from his reservation book to look at me. His jaw drops, as well as the pen that was in his hand a second ago, and he runs away from me, his black ponytail flying behind him. I lean against the podium. I know I'm not dressed properly for a place like this, so they won't let me in… except that the man who just ran away happens to be a friend of mine. Why he's running a restaurant sure beats me. He used to be something of a brilliant toy inventor.

The black haired man returns while dragging a startled white-haired young man. "See? I told you!"

Rich, chocolate brown eyes meet mine, and the albino smiles warmly. "Welcome back!"

I smile. "Thanks. I just got into town today, and I've been going around to say hello to everyone. This is new of course. Why a restaurant?"

"I love to cook," says the albino.

"And I love to eat!" I joke.

We talk and joke for several minutes. We share stories about how we got here. I find their stories so much more interesting than mine.

"Yes… and I noticed the arcade was gone too. Some lady said there was a fire," I say.

"You know why it burned down, don't you?" asks the green-eyed man.

I shake my head.

"It burned down because you left," he says.

"What?"

"We all spent a lot of time there. It reminded us all of you, but we didn't burn it down," says the albino running his hand through his white locks of hair.

"Then who… Oh!" My eyes widen in realization. "Why would he do that? Why would he burn down a place that had so many memories of me?"

"He wanted to burn you out of his memory," says the man with green eyes.

"It didn't work," says the albino, "You should go see him now."

I nod. "I'm on my way then. See ya later. Maybe even tomorrow. You don't suppose I could get a job here, do you?"

"Oh, I don't know… how good are you at washing dishes?" Two green eyes sparkle mischievously.

"Ha, ha. I'll see you later," I say turning with a smile on my face and walking out. I'm getting hungry. I have a little money on me, so I'll stop by the coffee shop where we always used to hang out. I walk down the streets, past the park, past his office building, past the run-down house where I used to live, and I reach the coffee shop. I head inside and my eyes immediately turn to the corner booth where me and the gang always used to sit.

There's someone there.

Suddenly I am lost, drowning in the depths of the Pacific Ocean and frozen in the ice, and I simply stare into those blue eyes. I can't even move. I can't even speak. I just stare.

"Make inu…" You snarl. Your blue eyes shine like ice and appear just as cold, frozen in time with your hatred for me.

I open my mouth, although I don't know how. No sound comes out though.

You close your eyes and open them again. You stare at me, hopefully.

My feet propel me forward and within a few seconds, I'm sitting on the bench across from you. "I've been looking for you."

"Why?"

"I wanted to tell you I was sorry for not saying goodbye before I left." Why did I just say that? I've never been sorry for that.

"You bastard…"

I nod. "I know. I am everything you always said I was. I am just a stupid mutt…"

You sniffle slightly and run your hand through your brown locks. Your hair's longer than I remember and shaggier. You mustn't have cut it since I left. "You promised you'd never leave."

"I know."

"You left me."

"I'm sorry." I am. I truly am sorry I left you. It was the hardest thing I ever did. That's why I couldn't say good-bye! I knew you'd ask me to stay, and I wouldn't be able to leave.

"You said forever." You look at me with hurt in your cold eyes.

"That's why I came back."

You stand up. "Let's go."

I stand up and follow you out of the coffee shop. Neither of us says a word as we climb into your car, and you start the engine. "Are we going to fight again?"

"If you want to fight with me."

"That's all we've ever known. Never friends. Not quite enemies. Rivals at everything," I say as I watch the town fly by.

"Have you fought with anyone since me?" You glance at me uneasily. You've never looked at me like that.

"Never the way I fought with you. I miss it, you know… fighting with you. It's always so exhilarating. It's such a rush," I say truthfully, "Have you fought with anyone the way we used to?"

"No… No one could compare to your passion and hatred." You smile. This isn't the smirk you normally wear. You're actually smiling. Wow! You're so gorgeous!

You pull the car up in front of the largest house I've ever seen in Japan, and we both climb out. We head inside and up a long staircase. We follow the hall and enter a quiet room.

I remember this room. We would always fight in your bedroom because the walls were soundproof, and no one would ever know how much we were hurting each other. I turn to smirk at you as you lock the door. "Do you remember how it goes?"

You smirk back at me. "Of course I do, make inu!"

I growl. Yes, I know it's true. I am a dumb dog, but I do so hate it when you call me that. It's your voice that always makes those words sound so much more meaningful. "Don't call me a fucking dog, you rich bastard!"

.

_**Sometime in that river a piece of my broken dream floated by.**_

_**.  
**_

You drop your coat to the floor and backhand me roughly.

I fall to the floor and glare at you as I growl deep in my throat.

"But you act just like a sniveling mutt! On the floor at your master's feet!"

"You would never be my master, son of a bitch! And I'm not a mutt!" I drop my jacket and lunge at you.

"Remember the day we started fighting like this?" You grab my shirt and fling me into the wall, ripping my shirt clean off me.

"Of course I do. It was when I found out who you really are!" I grab your shirt and yank it to try to rip it, but you duck out of it, sparing the black cloth and revealing your bare chest.

"You promised you wouldn't tell anyone about what happened that day." You shove me onto the floor and fall on top of me when I kick your legs out from beneath you.

I bite your neck just enough to leave a mark but not to draw blood. "I did promise you that."

You punch me in the stomach. "You broke that promise."

"When?" My eyes widen as my pants are ripped from my body when you try to lift me upside down. I fall flat on my tailbone. "Ow…"

"They found out. They pitied me. You know how I hate pity. Admit that you told them." You glare at me.

I shake my head and lunge at you, grabbing your knees and accidentally pulling your pants from your legs. "I don't remember doing so."

"Make inu!" Your hand grips my hair and pulls me up to look into your face. "You deny it still?"

"I cannot admit to it. I do not wish to lie to you, but I do not recall ever telling them about that day. If I did tell them, then I am incredibly sorry, but I can't tell you that I did it." I punch you in the stomach. "You rich, pretentious bastard!"

You shove me roughly onto your bed. You scream, "I HATE YOU!"

"I HATE YOU!" I scream back as loud as I can.

Your eyes widen as you pin my arms above my head. Your breath hitches. "You promised you'd always hate me."

I look away from your blue eyes. I can't stand to look into those frozen waters anymore. "I know."

"But now you don't." One of your hands moves down my body, teasing me lightly and awakening my desires. You spread my legs apart.

"I can't help it."

"I hate you!" you exclaim as you force yourself into me.

I scream in pain.

"You promised to protect me."

Suddenly, I realize you aren't moving. You're waiting for my body to adjust to the hardened member impaling me. "And I have."

You scowl and pound into me once, knowing full well that I haven't had enough time to adjust. "Bull shit!"

"There were circumstances you didn't understand…" I look at you with pleading eyes.

"Bull shit!" You don't sound so confident. The puppy dog eyes never fail!

"Don't believe me. I don't care anymore." I turn away. "He was going to kill you. My dad… he was going to kill you, and everyone… I had to leave. If I was gone, he'd have no reason to hurt anyone to hurt me."

You blink at my revelation.

I nod my head to you, a signal that I'm ready for my punishment.

"I hate you for leaving me!" You pound into me roughly and start a hard, fast pace.

"I was young! I followed my dream!"

"You left me alone!"

"I'm sorry!" I cry. Tears form in my eyes and fall down onto the satin sheets.

"You hurt me!" Tears fall onto my face. You're crying too, but you still pound me roughly into the mattress.

I wipe your tears away. "I didn't mean to."

"I hated you!" You look down at me and I can see it's true. You did hate me, very much.

"I hated you too!" I hope my eyes show my hatred just as well as yours did.

"You left me when I needed you most."

My eyes widen. I'm shocked. You needed someone? "I didn't know."

"Now when I no longer need you, now you return." Your tears fall again.

I bite my lip and wipe your eyes. "Should I have stayed gone?"

"Yes… then I could always hate you." You pound into me harder, your actions becoming more desperate. How exactly are we able to hold a conversation while having sex?

"I can leave again… and never come back." I know I promised the others I wouldn't, but for you, I would break that promise like I have so many others.

Your eyes widen desperately. They look like the Pacific Ocean, inviting coolness and not icy death. "No! You can't!"

"Why not?" I must be giving you that confused puppy expression because you start to caress me gently as you try to satisfy our sexual needs.

You smile. "Because I need you again! I don't hate you anymore! I love you!"

I try to push you off me. "You what?"

"I love you." You grin as you slam into me again, and I scream in pleasure.

"How can you?" I gasp.

"How can I not?"

"I still hate you."

You close your eyes. "I can live with that."

"Why would you want to?" I scream as you hit that special spot within me again. How are we having a conversation during sex? Normally, I could never even think beyond what you're doing. Oh, and what are those hands doing? Wow… that feels so good.

"Because… even if you hate me, then you care for me because hate is an emotion of caring. Knowing you care for me in some way is enough for me." You look sad.

"You deserve better." I glare at you.

You glare back. "I deserve you."

"I hate you more than anything in the world."

You moan in pleasure. "Really?"

"More than anything else in the universe." I nod my head to confirm.

"I see." You're getting closer to your orgasm. Are you even listening to me?

I pull you into a soul-crushing kiss, our first kiss ever. "Because I love you more than you can ever know."

You smirk at me as you release deep inside me. We both shake from the effects of our orgasm. "I know you do."

Normally, we'd fight and have the roughest sex in the world, like we just did, then we'd yell out how much we hate each other. You'd shove me away. I'd smirk and lay down on your chest to listen to your heartbeat.

This time, you pull me close to you so that my head rests on your chest. You whisper, "I love you, puppy."

I lift my head and look into your eyes. My eyes widen as I see a reflection in the pupils, the person who I saw back in Hollywood… the person who I didn't know, I've known all this time. It was me. The feminine, long blond hair, the brown eyes, the masculine-built body. All this time I was yelling at myself and wondering why I didn't know the person I was talking to. I smile and kiss my lover, my hater, my friend, my enemy, my rival, my everything. "I love you, master."

Some things change. Some things stay the same.

We always fought during sex. We always said we hated we other. It was our way of getting what we needed. We had hormones like every other teenager, and we used each other. We always said we hated each other, but we never did. We were always in love, but we couldn't admit it. It was so much easier to say I hate you and then screw like rabbits. It would have been harder to say I love you and then make love because we'd want it to be special and tender, and we were never like that. We'll always fight now and screw like rabbits, but we can say 'I love you' now instead of 'I hate you'.

Some things change. Some things stay the same.

My sister was always the most important thing to me. She died though, and I had to look to something else. You are now my something else, my everything important in the world.

Some things change. Some things stay the same.

You destroyed the arcade where I used to hang out because you couldn't stand to have it remind you of the love you lost. Now, we're going to rebuild a new arcade where we can hang out. And I get to be the manager and chase after rowdy children!

Some things change. Some things stay the same.

This town isn't the one I knew before I left. Buildings have changed. Businesses have been destroyed. A pet store, specializing in puppies, rests where my favorite toy and game shop always was. I need to get a new puppy, a golden Labrador of course. Its fur will match my hair, and its eyes will match mine as well. I do look like a puppy, a little inu.

Some things change. Some things stay the same.

People grow up. People mature. People start families of their own.

The more things change, the more they really seem the same.

.

.

_**Sometime in that river a piece of my broken dream floated by.**_

_**The promises I couldn't keep have one by one caused pain.**_

_**Itsu ka ano kawa de nagarete'ta mono wa kowareta yume no kakera datta ne**_

_**Mamorarenakatta yakusoku ni ichiichi kizu tuite mitari shite'ta n da.**_

_**- - **__**Immature**__** – Ayumi Hamasaki**_


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